The present invention relates generally to decocking levers for firearms, that is, levers used to safely lower the hammer of a cocked firearm.
Firearm safety is an important issue and one that has long been studied by firearm designers. There are many different aspects of this issue but one in particular deals with how best to lower the hammer of a firearm without discharging the firearm after the hammer has been cocked. In many cases the trigger can be pulled while the user keeps a thumb on the hammer. The user""s thumb lowers the hammer gently so that it will not strike the chambered round. Because the user""s thumb may slip off the hammer, the possibility for inadvertent discharge remains.
To address this issue, designers of firearms have incorporated xe2x80x9cdecockingxe2x80x9d levers into the designs of some firearms. Pressing a decocking lever causes the hammer to be lowered without discharging the firearm. As with many other aspects of firearm safety, there are a number of different designs for decocking levers.
A good design operates reliably and predictably, makes good use of the limited space in a firearm, and accommodates various users. There remains a need for a better decocking lever for firearms.
According to its major aspects and briefly recited, the present invention is a decocking lever for a firearm. The present decocking lever not only decocks the hammer to a safe position when pressed down, but also acts as a manual safety. Furthermore, the present design facilitates the inclusion of a magazine safety that disables the firearm when a magazine is not fully inserted and is operable by left handed and right handed users alike. The additional functions of the decocking lever are achieved by the use of a hammer link between the hammer and the trigger bar.
The dual function of the decocking lever, which is to operate as a manual safety and a decocking lever using a single lever, is an important feature of the present invention. Simplified controls for a firearm make it easier to learn to use.
The use of a hammer link to decouple the trigger bar from the hammer is another important feature of the present invention. This feature provides a simple way to place the firearm in a safe state using the magazine safety or the decocking lever or both.
The use of an elongated, but otherwise circular hole in the decocking lever is another feature of the present invention. The hole allows the decocking lever to rotate about the hammer bushing. The fact that the hole is elongated allows the lever to move translationally as well. Having the capability to move both rotationally and translationally allows the decocking lever to operate without additional linkages and thus reduce the number of moving parts.